UPDATE: To the commentors who said the federal and provincial NDP are completly seperate, just like the federal and provincial Liberals; well, you're half right. The Liberals are different, but the NDP aren't.

In Ontario, it's generally the same people for both parties at both levels. In B.C., the Dippers are the same but the B.C. Liberals are much more Conservative, drawing both Liberals and some Conservatives. Many progressive Federal Liberals have voted NDP provincially in B.C., myself included.

Here's the difference though. There is no link between the Liberal Party of Canada and any provincial Liberal party. Same people in some cases, not in others. You need to join the parties separately. However, there IS a direct link between the NDP and its provincial cousins. When you join the Layton's NDP, you also automatically become a member of Howard's Ontario NDP or Carole's B.C. NDP, etc. From the membership form on the federal NDP Web site:

Sign the declarationI, the undersigned, hereby apply for membership in the NewDemocratic Party of Canada and the NDP in the province/territoryof my residence where applicable. I promise to abide by theConstitution, policies and principles of the NDP both federally andprovincially/territorially. I hereby state that I am not a membernor supporter of any other federal political party, nor a member orsupporter of any other provincial or territorial party where there isa provincial or territorial NDP.

So, as you see, the link is tighter with the NDP then it is with any other party. Well, I don't know about the Greens.

Of course, during the 2004 federal election that didn't stop the NDP candidate from telling voters in my riding to vote NDP to stop Gordon Campbell, or NDP activisits in Ontario from telling voters to vote NDP to punish Dalton McGuinty for the health care premiums.

... but mirror-image mentality. You don't think Layton will join the Ontario team on the hustings, listening to that kind of logic? But when it comes to the death of Kyoto, Kelowna Accord, universal childcare and protecting SSM, he's resolutely of another voice -- 'Why, if a vote for me will put me into second place and Harpor into a majority, my wet dream has come true!' ~ ayay Capt Layton sir!

There is only one organization for provincial and federal Liberals in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, and I believe NFLD & Labrador. I was also under the impression that the Saskatchewan and Manitoba Liberals were also officially affiliated with the Federal Liberal party in the same way.